oriel means A large polygonal recess in a building, such as a bay window, forming a protrusion on the outer wall. It carries an Arena rating of 1612, earned across 32 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, oriel ranks #334 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words, #1,204 of 17,142 for Most Ingenious Words, #1,807 of 17,143 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #2,350 of 17,127 for Most Vivid Words.
oriel is pronounced /ˈɔːɹiəl/.
Why “oriel” is a great word
ORIEL — [Noun] A large projecting bay window, typically polygonal, built out from a wall and supported by corbels or brackets. From Middle English oriel, from Old French oriol ("gallery, corridor"), from Late Latin oriolum ("portico, hall"), probably from Latin aureolus ("gilded"), referring to a decorated apartment. Unlike a generic "bay window" or a recessed "alcove," an oriel is a distinct, elevated extrusion cantilevered from the masonry. It is a lantern of leaded glass catching the afternoon's last gold, a cushioned perch for observing a private garden unseen, a polygonal jewel-case suspended from a facade. This is architecture's quiet confession that a view is more precious when it is stolen.
Etymology
From Middle English oriel, from Old French oriol (“gallery, corridor”), Late Latin oriolum (“portico, hall”), probably from Latin aureolus (“gilded”), applied to an apartment decorated with gilding. See oriole. Or a diminutive of Latin os (“mouth”).
noun
- A large polygonal recess in a building, such as a bay window, forming a protrusion on the outer wall.e.g.“The middle window of the oriel before her, just caught and reflected back the crimson light and colour. The ground below looked bright and warm compared with the shade around.” — 1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XIV, in Romance and Reality. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 202:
- A small apartment next to a hall, used for dining.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- oculus 56% match — A window or other opening that has an oval or circular shape (as of an eye).; The central boss of a volute. vs oriel →
- dormer 55% match — A room-like, roofed projection from a sloping roof. vs oriel →
- oillet 54% match — A round hole or circle with which an opening for an arrowslit terminates. vs oriel →
- outroom 54% match — An outer room. vs oriel →
- alcove 54% match — A small recessed area set off from a larger room. vs oriel →
- windowlike 53% match — Resembling a window (an opening in the wall). vs oriel →
- recess 52% match — A depressed, hollow, or indented space; also, a hole or opening. vs oriel →
- orarian 52% match — Of or pertaining to a coast. vs oriel →